Occupants escape safely from Daytona home blaze

When Stephanie Pinckney saw flames illuminating the bedroom window of her Berkshire Road neighbor's house just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, her first thought was to get some water on the fire.

MARK I. JOHNSONSTAFF WRITER

When Stephanie Pinckney saw flames illuminating the bedroom window of her Berkshire Road neighbor's house just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, her first thought was to get some water on the fire. "I grabbed a toy, broke out the window, stuck the (garden) hose in and turned on the water," the 39-year-old said Thursday morning. "Everybody was already out of the house, except for Mr. Jimmy." Homeowner Jimmy Reaves, 74, was able to escape the flames and was uninjured, along with the rest of his family, except for some breathing difficulties caused by smoke inhalation, Daytona Beach Fire Department spokesman Lt. Larry Stoney said in a midnight news release. The house, however, suffered an estimated $20,000 worth of damage, Stoney said. "I was trying to contain the fire as much as I could," Reaves said Thursday afternoon of why he was the last out of the house at 955 Berkshire Road.It is believed the fire, which was confined to a bedroom, was started by Reaves' 8-year-old granddaughter Zaniyah Hooper, who was in the bedroom playing with a lighter, the release said. The lighter ignited the mattress and the little girl left the room to alert her grandparents the room was on fire, the release indicated. "I was just going to work," Pinckney said of when she saw the fire. "It looked like the whole side of the wall was nothing but flames." She said she sprayed water from the hose on the flames until police and fire officials arrived and an officer told her to step back. Pinckney said the youngster was shaken up but she hoped the little girl didn't blame herself for the mishap. Reaves' son Roderick Reaves said the Red Cross put the home's four occupants up for the evening in a local motel and his father has insurance so the family should be OK. "I want to thank all our friends for all their help," Roderick Reaves said Thursday morning. Pinckey joined Roderick Reaves in saying neighbors came out to assist the family Wednesday night and were expected to help with Thursday's cleanup efforts. Reaves' daughter Terry McQueen said her father, who suffers from COPD and is required to use oxygen, was rattled by the incident but she expects him to be all right. Reaves appeared to take the mishap in stride and confident everything would turn out OK."It's just part of life," he said.Fire officials said Wednesday's blaze is a reminder to all about the danger of leaving smoking paraphernalia and lighters in reach of children and not to smoke near or around mattresses.